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Projecting the Cavs in 2014-15
- Thread starter PriceFan14
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Simon
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Pretty much all of the above. It takes time to mesh, especially with a line up full of stars/superstars and we saw that with Miami the first year.
I can't wait for preseason to see how Blatt runs his offense.
I know is I am pretty much getting ready for a slow start, and I think too many people think we are going to get on this fast start.
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I know that this is a little off topic but this has to be my favorite memory over the last 4 years. Just saw it posted on Instagram and had to share:
VAIN1
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TT used to do that in college and I would take him over JJ as far as BB IQ any day. I wonder if he will be able to play a role with the new additions that will increase his productivity . JJ is not a better player I could be wrong of course but to my eyes it isn't even close.
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Oh, I agree with you 100%. It was more than energy pop from the block to when Mo hit that 3 to the tune of his signature Godfather music that was just classic!
VAIN1
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I was just thinking this period of waiting is dangerous because it allows us to anticipate the brilliance and as Cleveland fans stress over the miniscule things that could derail our hopes. There is at least in myself a tendency to nit pick every little thing in hopes of creating perfection. We might have enough as is to definitively win the EAST obviously the inverse is true. But overall we match up well against any team. It could be a rebirth of showtime reminiscent of those old Lakers teams you just couldn't stop. Though there is a reason it's said defense wins championships.
I think someone posted 18 days till media day and the over analyzing will get more and more brutal lol.
Oh well NBA Xmas can't get here soon enough.
AuxiliaryPie
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he has us at #2 behind the spurs, i saw that on a tweet i dont have insider, sorry
PriceFan14
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VAIN1
Towel Waver
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Predicting the X-Factor for Every NBA Team Entering 2014-15 Season
By Alec Nathan , Featured Columnist Sep 7, 2014
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...every-nba-team-entering-2014-15-season/page/7
Cleveland Cavaliers
David Liam Kyle/Getty Images
X-Factor: The chemistry between Kevin Love, Kyrie Irving and LeBron James
The Cleveland Cavaliers' ability to defend—and protect the rim, as general manager David Griffin has already discussed—may very well determine the team's ceiling.
But since the Cavaliers are engaged in such a rapid turnaround, the spotlight will fall on the team's three superstars and their cohesion throughout what's sure to be a historic season in Cleveland.
While questions abound regarding adjustments Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving will need to make now that they're teamed up with LeBron James, Bleacher Report's Jared Zwerling recently broke down why Cleveland's offense may very well be a juggernaut under head coach David Blatt.
Here's Zwerling on the Cavaliers creating mismatches in transition:
"I'm sure that he's going to want to create numbers offensively [in transition]," the Northwest scout said. "I'm sure they're going to be getting up and going, and they're going to want to play full-court attacking."
The Cavaliers could also be masters of the secondary fast break, which fuels three-pointers in a quick-hitting pick-and-roll. Irving, for one, fed off these last season. And Love, who's become one of the NBA's best-conditioned athletes since coming in heavy from college, figures to be a major threat as a trailing big man, playing off James or Irving in the two-man game.
And in the half court:
By Alec Nathan , Featured Columnist Sep 7, 2014
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...every-nba-team-entering-2014-15-season/page/7
Cleveland Cavaliers
David Liam Kyle/Getty Images
X-Factor: The chemistry between Kevin Love, Kyrie Irving and LeBron James
The Cleveland Cavaliers' ability to defend—and protect the rim, as general manager David Griffin has already discussed—may very well determine the team's ceiling.
But since the Cavaliers are engaged in such a rapid turnaround, the spotlight will fall on the team's three superstars and their cohesion throughout what's sure to be a historic season in Cleveland.
While questions abound regarding adjustments Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving will need to make now that they're teamed up with LeBron James, Bleacher Report's Jared Zwerling recently broke down why Cleveland's offense may very well be a juggernaut under head coach David Blatt.
Here's Zwerling on the Cavaliers creating mismatches in transition:
"I'm sure that he's going to want to create numbers offensively [in transition]," the Northwest scout said. "I'm sure they're going to be getting up and going, and they're going to want to play full-court attacking."
The Cavaliers could also be masters of the secondary fast break, which fuels three-pointers in a quick-hitting pick-and-roll. Irving, for one, fed off these last season. And Love, who's become one of the NBA's best-conditioned athletes since coming in heavy from college, figures to be a major threat as a trailing big man, playing off James or Irving in the two-man game.
And in the half court:
It's a strong possibility that the Cavaliers' half-court offense will start with multiple pick-and-roll options among James, Irving and Love. The most lethal could be a pick-and-pop with James and Love, in order for Love to further spread the court. As the Southwest scout said, "That's pretty damn scary. It's just like, 'What do you do on defense?'"
There will undoubtedly be some bumps in the road along the way, but Cleveland possesses too much firepower to flounder.
There will undoubtedly be some bumps in the road along the way, but Cleveland possesses too much firepower to flounder.
Cavsfan161
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In the east I think 60 wins is realistic
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The commitment is there to win it all. James is talking down expectations, but you dont sell the team's future for anything less. I am on board, as the team put itself in a position to get its dream team, and this was the best window to get it done. But it has to work this year, then next year we trade Hayward's contract to peak the team. Two rings into it we should be able to support the stars with ring chasers until James sunsets.
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Omar The Horse
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Long read but here is the basketball insiders season preview...
http://www.basketballinsiders.com/2014-2015-cleveland-cavaliers-season-preview/
___________________________________________________
It’s not very often that a team vaunts itself from having earned the No. 1 pick in one season to instant championship contender in one offseason, but that’s what has happened with the Cleveland Cavaliers thanks entirely to the summer signing of LeBron James and subsequent trade for former Minnesota Timberwolves star Kevin Love.
Whether or not the Cavaliers win the ring this year, they’re definitely the league’s most intriguing team heading into the 2014-2015 NBA season.
Basketball Insiders previews the 2014-2015 Cleveland Cavaliers.
Five Guys Think
LeBron James is coming home. There isn’t much else to write. That fact alone immediately puts them in the conversation for this year’s championship, but the addition of Kevin Love makes it even more inevitable that this team will delve deeply into the 2015 postseason when the time does ultimately come. Concerns about Love and Kyrie Irving never having played an NBA playoff game are kind of overblown, mostly because James has been to four straight NBA Finals and has won two of them. James Jones and Mile Miller won rings with the King in Miami, and Varejao has experience going deep into the playoffs, as well. In other words, this isn’t a locker room devoid of championship experience, so two major stars (one of whom has an Olympic gold medal) shouldn’t have much problem adapting. Except for maybe the Chicago Bulls, it’s hard to envision any other team representing the East in this year’s Finals.
2nd Place – Central Division
-Joel Brigham
In the Summer of 2007, Danny Ainge had Paul Pierce, the fifth overall pick in the draft and a platoon of youngsters that he had hoped would amount to something worthwhile. Seemingly overnight, he built the eventual 2008 NBA Champion by managing to put Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett beside his rock, Pierce. In July 2010, Pat Riley pulled off one of this generation’s most talked about heists in pairing LeBron James and Chris Bosh with Dwyane Wade. After four consecutive Eastern Conference titles, those days in Miami appear to be over. LeBron James’ decision to return home to Cleveland all but assures it. And now, with the impressive summer that the Cavaliers have turned in, their Summer of 2014, at least at this point, can be compared with the 2007 and 2010 summers of the Celtics and HEAT, respectively. Whether it will eventually lead to championship glory is another question, all together. But today, it is one that can be seriously pondered in Cleveland. With James deciding to return home, the Cavs were blessed with winning the first overall pick in June’s draft and eventually used Andrew Wiggins to acquire Kevin Love. James and Love joining a team with Kyrie Irving, Tristan Thompson and Dion Waiters yields a team that is arguably as talented as an Cavaliers team that has taken the court since Mark Price, Larry Nance and Brad Daugherty were contending in the Eastern Conference in the early 1990s. With Shawn Marion, Mike Miller and James Jones joining, the Cavs have a great balance of young studs and seasoned veterans, and if the underrated Anderson Varejao can stay healthy, he could help put them over the top out East, even if they are undersized. The major concern for the Cavs will certainly be their ability to get important stops and defend. They are not nearly as athletic or defensively gifted as James’ HEAT team was, but talent-wise, they are near the top. The Cavs may have trouble battling some of the league’s bigger teams, but fortunately for Team LeBron, there is a dearth of those in the Eastern Conference. Out East, so long as the Chicago Bulls remain relatively healthy, it should be a two-horse race for the conference crown. In the end, James may lead his team to a fifth consecutive NBA Finals appearance. With Love and Irving by his side, anything is possible, even if they will have obstacles to overcome. One thing that has been completely overlooked is David Blatt and the challenge he will face in his first NBA head coaching gig. The Cavs are not a sure thing, but until we see the Derrick Rose of old, it would be foolish to bet against them.
1st Place – Central Division
– Moke Hamilton
The Cleveland Cavaliers have resided in the league’s basement ever since LeBron James took his talents to South Beach during the summer of 2010. So it comes as no surprise the Cavaliers are now one of the favorites to compete for a title with James back in the fold, seemingly for the long haul. Not only did Cleveland manage to secure James’ autograph in free agency this past summer, the franchise also swung a deal to acquire All-Star forward Kevin Love to pair alongside emerging guard Kyrie Irving. If the chemistry is tight from day one, Cleveland would undoubtedly be the team to beat in the Eastern Conference with only two or three true threats in the West. However, games aren’t played on paper so we’ll see how this plays out over the full 82.
1st Place – Central Division
– Lang Greene
What the Cavaliers did in the last few months was downright incredible. Remember, entering the summer, Cleveland was without a permanent general manager and head coach, they were back in the lottery and Kyrie Irving was reportedly disgruntled. Then, in the course of a few weeks, they removed David Griffin’s interim tag and hired David Blatt (two guys who are very respected around the NBA), won the lottery to select Andrew Wiggins, signed Irving to a max extension, signed LeBron James, traded Wiggins and Anthony Bennett for Kevin Love and filled out their roster with quality veterans like Mike Miller, James Jones, Shawn Marion and Brendan Haywood (with more possibly to come). It doesn’t get much better than that. Cleveland went from being a lottery team with issues to arguably the best team in the league. All eyes will now be on the Cavs to see if they can live up to that label (but that James guy, who is pretty good, will certainly make that easier).
1st Place – Central Division
– Alex Kennedy
This offseason simply could not have gone better for the Cavaliers, who went from the team drafting No. 1 overall to now fielding a team with the best trio in the league in LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love. There seemed to be some reluctance to let go of Andrew Wiggins, who does have a lot of potential, but Love is beyond great return for him. And, most importantly, he’s ready to help the Cavaliers win now. From top to bottom, this year’s Cavaliers team has the potential to be better than any team James won a championship with in Miami. Plus, there’s enough youth and depth on the team to where he won’t have to carry the same kind of load that he had to in Miami. Growing concerns about how the overwhelming burden he was carrying was going to affect him long-term had to play a big part in driving him back to Cleveland, where the work load is much less significant. Aside from a first-year NBA coach in David Blatt and Love and Irving being unproven in the playoffs, there’s really not much to nitpick this Cavaliers team about. They’re absolutely loaded and definitely capable of winning it all this season.
1st Place – Central Division
– Yannis Koutroupis
http://www.basketballinsiders.com/2014-2015-cleveland-cavaliers-season-preview/
___________________________________________________
It’s not very often that a team vaunts itself from having earned the No. 1 pick in one season to instant championship contender in one offseason, but that’s what has happened with the Cleveland Cavaliers thanks entirely to the summer signing of LeBron James and subsequent trade for former Minnesota Timberwolves star Kevin Love.
Whether or not the Cavaliers win the ring this year, they’re definitely the league’s most intriguing team heading into the 2014-2015 NBA season.
Basketball Insiders previews the 2014-2015 Cleveland Cavaliers.
Five Guys Think
LeBron James is coming home. There isn’t much else to write. That fact alone immediately puts them in the conversation for this year’s championship, but the addition of Kevin Love makes it even more inevitable that this team will delve deeply into the 2015 postseason when the time does ultimately come. Concerns about Love and Kyrie Irving never having played an NBA playoff game are kind of overblown, mostly because James has been to four straight NBA Finals and has won two of them. James Jones and Mile Miller won rings with the King in Miami, and Varejao has experience going deep into the playoffs, as well. In other words, this isn’t a locker room devoid of championship experience, so two major stars (one of whom has an Olympic gold medal) shouldn’t have much problem adapting. Except for maybe the Chicago Bulls, it’s hard to envision any other team representing the East in this year’s Finals.
2nd Place – Central Division
-Joel Brigham
In the Summer of 2007, Danny Ainge had Paul Pierce, the fifth overall pick in the draft and a platoon of youngsters that he had hoped would amount to something worthwhile. Seemingly overnight, he built the eventual 2008 NBA Champion by managing to put Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett beside his rock, Pierce. In July 2010, Pat Riley pulled off one of this generation’s most talked about heists in pairing LeBron James and Chris Bosh with Dwyane Wade. After four consecutive Eastern Conference titles, those days in Miami appear to be over. LeBron James’ decision to return home to Cleveland all but assures it. And now, with the impressive summer that the Cavaliers have turned in, their Summer of 2014, at least at this point, can be compared with the 2007 and 2010 summers of the Celtics and HEAT, respectively. Whether it will eventually lead to championship glory is another question, all together. But today, it is one that can be seriously pondered in Cleveland. With James deciding to return home, the Cavs were blessed with winning the first overall pick in June’s draft and eventually used Andrew Wiggins to acquire Kevin Love. James and Love joining a team with Kyrie Irving, Tristan Thompson and Dion Waiters yields a team that is arguably as talented as an Cavaliers team that has taken the court since Mark Price, Larry Nance and Brad Daugherty were contending in the Eastern Conference in the early 1990s. With Shawn Marion, Mike Miller and James Jones joining, the Cavs have a great balance of young studs and seasoned veterans, and if the underrated Anderson Varejao can stay healthy, he could help put them over the top out East, even if they are undersized. The major concern for the Cavs will certainly be their ability to get important stops and defend. They are not nearly as athletic or defensively gifted as James’ HEAT team was, but talent-wise, they are near the top. The Cavs may have trouble battling some of the league’s bigger teams, but fortunately for Team LeBron, there is a dearth of those in the Eastern Conference. Out East, so long as the Chicago Bulls remain relatively healthy, it should be a two-horse race for the conference crown. In the end, James may lead his team to a fifth consecutive NBA Finals appearance. With Love and Irving by his side, anything is possible, even if they will have obstacles to overcome. One thing that has been completely overlooked is David Blatt and the challenge he will face in his first NBA head coaching gig. The Cavs are not a sure thing, but until we see the Derrick Rose of old, it would be foolish to bet against them.
1st Place – Central Division
– Moke Hamilton
The Cleveland Cavaliers have resided in the league’s basement ever since LeBron James took his talents to South Beach during the summer of 2010. So it comes as no surprise the Cavaliers are now one of the favorites to compete for a title with James back in the fold, seemingly for the long haul. Not only did Cleveland manage to secure James’ autograph in free agency this past summer, the franchise also swung a deal to acquire All-Star forward Kevin Love to pair alongside emerging guard Kyrie Irving. If the chemistry is tight from day one, Cleveland would undoubtedly be the team to beat in the Eastern Conference with only two or three true threats in the West. However, games aren’t played on paper so we’ll see how this plays out over the full 82.
1st Place – Central Division
– Lang Greene
What the Cavaliers did in the last few months was downright incredible. Remember, entering the summer, Cleveland was without a permanent general manager and head coach, they were back in the lottery and Kyrie Irving was reportedly disgruntled. Then, in the course of a few weeks, they removed David Griffin’s interim tag and hired David Blatt (two guys who are very respected around the NBA), won the lottery to select Andrew Wiggins, signed Irving to a max extension, signed LeBron James, traded Wiggins and Anthony Bennett for Kevin Love and filled out their roster with quality veterans like Mike Miller, James Jones, Shawn Marion and Brendan Haywood (with more possibly to come). It doesn’t get much better than that. Cleveland went from being a lottery team with issues to arguably the best team in the league. All eyes will now be on the Cavs to see if they can live up to that label (but that James guy, who is pretty good, will certainly make that easier).
1st Place – Central Division
– Alex Kennedy
This offseason simply could not have gone better for the Cavaliers, who went from the team drafting No. 1 overall to now fielding a team with the best trio in the league in LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love. There seemed to be some reluctance to let go of Andrew Wiggins, who does have a lot of potential, but Love is beyond great return for him. And, most importantly, he’s ready to help the Cavaliers win now. From top to bottom, this year’s Cavaliers team has the potential to be better than any team James won a championship with in Miami. Plus, there’s enough youth and depth on the team to where he won’t have to carry the same kind of load that he had to in Miami. Growing concerns about how the overwhelming burden he was carrying was going to affect him long-term had to play a big part in driving him back to Cleveland, where the work load is much less significant. Aside from a first-year NBA coach in David Blatt and Love and Irving being unproven in the playoffs, there’s really not much to nitpick this Cavaliers team about. They’re absolutely loaded and definitely capable of winning it all this season.
1st Place – Central Division
– Yannis Koutroupis